In patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma with bony metastasis, pain palliation is an important point in improving their life quality. It is a known fact that local external irradiation is an effective treatment modality for metastatic bone pain. Because bony metastasis often affects multiple sites in prostatic adenocarcinoma, hemibody irradiation is often necessary. But it has various complications. Strontium-89 was administered in 6 patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma with symptomatic multiple bony metastasis whose pain was not controlled with local external irradiation or antiandrogen therapy. In 2 of 6 patients, pain disappeared and in other 2 of 6 patients, pain decreased to 20% of pretreatment level. Hematologic adverse effect did not appear in any patient. Along with decreasing pain, need of analgesics decreased and life quality of the patients improved. However, the PSA level of the patients did not change. Strontium-89 treatment for patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma with symptomatic bony metastasis is a valuable treatment modality in improving life quality of the patients and time-saving when compared with other treatment modalities. However there are some unsolved questions in Strontium-89 treatment such as when to start the treatment and its indications. A prospective study thould be designed including more cases.
Adenocarcinoma ; Analgesics ; Hemibody Irradiation ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Quality of Life

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the curative effect of alternative half body irradiation (AHBI) in the treatment of hematological malignancies.

METHODSSeventeen patients with hematological malignancies in complete remission received a high-dose chemotherapy, followed by a two-step AHBI on day 14 (12 approximately 22), upper (UHBI) and lower half body irradiation (LHBI) were sequentially given with each a single dose of 6 approximately 9 Gy at an interval of 23 (7 approximately 34) days. Fourteen received autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) during the same period were chosen as control.

RESULTSHematopoiesis recovery was observed in all the AHBI patients. The 3-year disease free survival (DFS) rate and the AHBI-related mortality were (52.38 +/- 13.47)% and 0, respectively. The longest survival time was 1446 days with a median follow-up period of 927 (428 approximately 1446) days. The 3-year DFS for the 11 acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) patients was (47.73 +/- 17.55)%. By contrast, the 3-year DFS and the AHSCT-related mortality for the 14 ALL patients in the control AHSCT group were (53.88 +/- 14.08)% and 14%, respectively. There was no significant difference in 3-year DFS between AHBI and AHSCT ALL patients.

CONCLUSIONSAHBI provides a feasible approach for hematological malignancy patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; Hemibody Irradiation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome